Poultry coop

ABSTRACT

A coop, depending on its size, for quail, chickens, turkeys and the like and resembling a conventional-type poultry coop. Unlike wooden or pre-cast-type integrated plastic coops, which have to be scrapped when prefabricated parts are broken, the instant coop comprises individual plastic component parts which can be replaced if broken. With the exception of the metal rivets all other components (floor panel, frames, dowels, and spring-biased latchable door) are made of plastic material and pave the way for repairs. The ends of top and bottom rail-type frame members are united by ship-lap joints. Vertical side and end dowels, either solid or reinforced hollow, have ends renewably seated in sockets. Certain frame members are provided with blocked weightreducing voids and the bottom frame members are provided with clearance notches to provide for outward drainage of waste and to minimize dropping waste atop coops which are stacked below.

[451 Apr. 9, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A coop, depending on its size, forquail, chickens, turkeys and the like and resembling a conventional-typepoultry coop. Unlike wooden or pre-cast-type integrated plastic coops,which have to be scrapped when prefabricated parts are broken, theinstant coop comprises individual plastic component parts which can bereplaced if broken. With the exception of the metal rivets all othercomponents (floor panel, frames, dowels, and spring-biased latchabledoor) are made of plastic material and pave the way for repairs. Theends of top and bottom rail-type frame members are united by ship-lapjoints. Vertical side and end dowels, either solid or reinforced hollow,have ends renewably seated in sockets. Certain frame members areprovided with blocked weight reducing voids and the botlnventor: TommiePeeler, 1206 Nettleton Cir.,

.lonesboro, Ark. 7240-1 Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 App]. No.: 294,269

Int. A0lk 31/18 Field of Search................................119/17-19;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Aylor........

United States Patent [191 Peeler POULTRY COOP tom frame members areprovided with clearance notches to provide for outward drainage of wasteand to minimize dropping waste atop coops which are stacked below.

Carpenter.

0.m fin 3e BV 2582 45656 99999 111.11 900592 55482 0763 3 73 65 0 9 8 722322 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Guida Primary Examiner-Antonio F.

Assistant Examiner-1. A. Oliff Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence A.O'Brien; Harvey B. Jacobson APR 91514 sum 2 [IF 2 1 POULTRY coop Thisinvention relates to openwork confining, handling and shipping coops formarketing poultry and which, while basically and structurally similar tocommonly marketed wooden and prefabricated unified and precast plastictypes, has to do with an easy-to-repair adaptation wherein the primarycomponent parts are separate and individual and are made of replaceablemoldable plastic material.

As indicative of the state of the art and for general backgroundinformation attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 1,424,218 granted toC. T. Sherman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,453,005 granted to D. T. Considine andU.S. Pat. No. 2,970,712 granted to O. F. Carpenter and showing varyingtypes of coops and crates.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coop which is strong,durable, light in weight, convenient and easy to handle, whose componentparts are made of moldable plastic material, can be expeditiouslyreplaced when unduly worn or broken (without scrapping the entire coop)and which well serves the overall purposes for which it has beenperfected and acceptably used.

Briefly the improved coop comprises a horizontal bottom unit which inturn, comprises an imperforate panel which constitutes a satisfactoryfloor. This panel is primarily flat and made of moldable plasticmaterial, the body portion being provided with transverse,longitudinally spaced, parallel stabilizing flutes or ribs, with theirouter ends terminating inwardly of the marginal edges of the panel. Abottom frame is made up of complemental plastic frame members or railswhich have lower surfaces firmly seated and fastened atop theassociatively cooperative marginal edge portions of the panel. The framemembers have open-ended notches or passages which open through inward aswell as outward peripheral surfaces in a manner to permit accumulateddroppings and excess drainage and waste to escape outwardly of saidframe and, in so doing, to minimize discharging and dropping of waste oncoops which, during transit, may be aligned with and stacked on a leveltherebeneath. The frame members are also provided with upwardly openingsockets for lower ends of the side and end dowels. Blind downwardlyopening sockets provide weight relieving voids. A horizontal top unit isaligned with and elevated above and disposed in a plane parallel withthe bottom unit. The top unit is characterized by top frame meansprovided with and encompassing spaced horizontal dowels and also with amanually openable and closable springbiased detent retained access door.The top unit is characterized by an outer frame made up of a pair oflongitudinal side members having terminal half portions overlapping andsecured to similar half portions of the respective terminal ends of thetransverse end members. In addition an inner frame is provided and ismade up of a pair of light longitudinal frame members which are flushwith and located within the confines of the side and end frame membersof the outer frame. A plurality of horizontal coplanar dowels bridge thelongitudinal frame members of the inner frame and certain of theselast-named dowels are amply spaced apart to define an entrance and exitopening, the door normally closing said entrance and exit opening. Theinner frame members are provided with sockets to accommodate endportions of the associated dowels and are provided with blind or blockedvoids for weight reducing purposes.

It will be noted that there are no trough-like indentations in the panelor floor to collect poultry droppings. It will also be noted that theunderneath comer portions of the panel are provided with square orequivalent depending lugs which facilitate nesting and stacking of coopsand prevent undesirable slippage during shipping. 7

The fact that the frame members of the bottom frame have interconnectedship-lapped joints, are suitably notched and are of requisite crosssection transforms the panel and frame members into a shallow pan ortray for efficient accumulation and drainage of waste matter.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a poultry coop constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention and showing thedoor closed and readied for use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken approximately on the plane ofthe section line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of theindicating arrows.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken approximately onthe plane of the section line 3-3 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary corner sectional and elevational view showinghow corner portions of two coops are stacked and how the aforementionedanti-slipping lugs come into play.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing all of the essentialcomponent parts which are made, as before stated, of moldable plasticmaterial.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross section showing that it is within thepurview of the invention to provide dowels which are hollow or tubularand provided with internal reinforcing ribs.

The aforementioned horizontal bottom unit is denoted by the numeral 8,the component parts being constructed of moldable plastic material. Thesubstantially rectangular panel, which constitutes a desirable floor isdenoted by the numeral 10, the flat top surface being designated at 12and the bottom surface at 14. The central body portion is provided withupstanding or indented flutes or reinforcing ribs 16 which aretransverse, have their terminal ends spaced inwardly of the marginaledges of the panel and provide reinforcing elements and facilitatedrainage. As shown in FIG. 5 the ends of the ribs are spaced inwardlyfrom the marginal edges 18 and the edge portions are provided with boredholes 20 to accommodate assembling and retaining rivets wherevernecessary or desired and as suggested in FIG. 1. The companion bottomframe comprises rail-like longitudinal side members 22 and transverseend members 24. The coacting end portions are provided withhalf-portions 26 and 28 which are overlapped and provide theaforementioned ship-lap joints, these portions being riveted together asat 30. The upwardly opening socket members (FIG. 3) are denoted at 32.The downwardly opening socket members, which constitute weight-reducingvoids, are denoted at 34 and are covered and closed by the underlyingpanel l0. Suitable rivet holes are provided as at 36, these being boredthrough the top and bottom surfaces of the rail or frame members. It isof utmost importance to note the clearance notches which open downwardlyalso open interiorly and exteriorly to provide the aforementioned wasteand drainage discharge openings as perhaps best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As before suggested, positioning the rails or frame members around andflush with the marginal edges of the imperforate plastic panel providesa shallow coop bottomming tray or pan. It will also be notedparticularly in FIG. 4 that each underneath corner portion of the panelis provided with a depending substantially rectangular positioning andanti-slipping lug 40. These lugs serve in the manner shown in FIG. 4 tofacilitate nesting and stacking and to minimize slippage when thestacked coops are in transit.

The top or upper unit is denoted by the numeral 42 and is proportionallysimilar to the bottom unit and in fact is characterized by an outerframe made up of Iongitudinal side rails or members 44 and transverseend members or rails 46. Hereagain the reduced terminal half-portions 48and 50 are overlapped and riveted together as at 52 (FIG. 1) to providethe desired ship-lap joints. The median outward and upper marginal edgeportions of the side rails are provided with recessed and beveledsurfaces 53 which allow chains (not shown) to slide in booming downstacked loads. This structural feature prevents splintering. Theunderneath sides of the side and end rails are provided with downwardlyopening sockets 54 which are aligned with the aforementioned sockets 32.These coacting upper and lower sockets serve to accommodate the endportions of the telescoping vertical side and end plastic rounds ordowels all of which are denoted by the numeral 56 (whether side or end).The flush cooperating inner frame encompassed by the outer frame 42 isdenoted in FIG. 1 by the numeral 58 and comprises a pair oflikelongitudinal frame members 60 which are provided (FIG. 5) in innersurfaces with appropriate sockets 62 to accommodate end portions of thecooperating horizontal dowels 64. These inner frame members (FIG. 2) areprovided with outwardly opening recesses or socket members 66 which inthis instance provide voids for weight-reducing purposes. The voids areclosed at their outer ends by the cooperating top frame rails or framemembers 44. Certain of the dowels 64 are spaced apart as shown toprovide an entrance and exit opening. This opening serves to accommodatethe manually openable and closable door 68. This door comprises a pairof coplanar spaced rails 70 having end portions 72 which are hingedlymounted and having free end portions 74 which are notched to provide theretaining result desired as brought out in FIG. 1. A suitable coilspring 76 is provided to assist in retaining the door closed and toassist primarily in shoving the substantially L-shaped detent 77 overand underneath the cooperating rail for latching purposes as brought outin FIG. 2. Thus the openable and closable door can be said to bespringbiased, norm ally closed, and held in latched position by thedetent means 77 illustrated in FIG. 2.

It is reiterated that the distributively arranged drainage notches 38permit adequate drainage of the coop .without draining directly downthrough the next coop below in the stack, as would be true with commonlymarketed coops. The total voids provided in the various frame members orrails reduce weight and are covered to prevent fouling by chickendroppings.

It may be necessary in some instances to utilize solid dowels and inother instances hollow or tubular dowels, one of which is shown at 78 inFIG. 6. This plastic dowel is provided interiorly with stabilizing ribs80.

The door can be opened by pulling up and away from the latched side. Thedoor will open approximately All rivets that face outwardly will besuitably countersunk (not detailed).

By making the essential component parts individual and of molded plasticmaterial the coop requires no painting, insures against rotting,provides durability but lightness in weight. It follows that the coopherein shown and described well serves the purposes for which it hasbeen devised and, under the circumstances, a more detailed descriptionis thought to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A poultry coop comprising a horizontal bottom unit comprising animperforate panel constituting a floor, a bottom frame embodyingcomplemental frame members having lower surfaces seated and fastenedatop cooperatively associated marginal edge portions of said panel, saidframe members having open ended passages opening through inward andoutward peripheral surfaces in a manner to permit accumulated droppingsand excess drainage to escape outwardly of said frame and, in so doing,to minimize discharging and dropping of the same on coops which, duringtransit, may be aligned with and stacked on a level therebeneath, ahorizontal top unit aligned with, elevated above and disposed in a planeparallel with said bottom unit, said top unit embodying top frame meansprovided with and encompassing spaced horizontal dowels and also with amanually openable and closable access door, and a'multiplicity ofvertical suitably spaced interchangeable dowels interposed between saidbottom frame and said top frame means and removably connected theretoand coacting therewith in a manner to complete said coop, all of theaforementioned component parts being individually made of moldableplastic material and capable of being singly and collectively removedand replaced, that portion of the panel inwardly of the surroundingframe members being provided with spaced parallel reinforcing ribs, saidtop unit comprising an outer frame made up of a pair of longitudinalside members having terminal half-portions overlapping and secured tosimilar oriented half-portions at the respective terminal ends oftransverse end members, and an inner frame embodying a pair of likelongitudinal frame members flush with and located within the confines ofthe side and end frame members of said outer frame and abutting interiorsurfaces of the side members of said inner frame, and a plurality ofhorizontal coplanar dowels bridging the longitudinal frame members ofsaid inner frame, certain of said last-named dowels being amply spacedapart to define an entrance and exit opening, said door normallycovering and clos ing said entrance and exit opening.

2. The poultry coop defined in and according to claim 1, and whereinsaid door comprises a pair of spaced parallel coplanar side rails havinginward longitudinal sides provided with paired and aligned inwardlyopening sockets, and horizontal spaced parallel dowels bridging thespace between said rails and having end portions plugged and retentivelyanchored in their respectively cooperable sockets, corresponding ends ofsaid side rails being hinged on an adjacent one of said last-nameddowels, the free openable and closable ends of said rails havingdownwardly opening keeper seats, and the free end of one of said railshaving a lateral outstanding lug providing a manually regulatablelatchtype detent for said door.

3. A poultry coop comprising a horizontal bottom unit embodying animperforate rigid plastic panel hav ing planar top and bottom surfaces,the body portion of said panel having transverse longitudinally spacedupstanding flute-like stabilizing ribs with opposite free outward endsterminating short of and spaced inwardly from coacting longitudinalmarginal edges of said body portion, the bottom surface of said panelhaving corner portions each provided with a depending lug-like cooppositioning, nesting and stacking abutment, a complemental bottom framealso made of plastic material and comprising opposed coplanarlongitudinal side members and transverse end members seated and fastenedatop underlying marginal portions of said panel and having reducedterminal overlapping half-portions secured and providing ship-lap jointsfor said frame, said side and end members having bottom portionsprovided with clearance and drainage notches opening downwardly and alsoopening through their respective interior and exterior longitudinalsurfaces, also having distributively arranged downwardly opening weightreducing voids and upwardly opening dowel seating sockets, said framemembers being fastened to said coordinating marginal edge portions ofsaid panel and spaced from and encompassing said free ends of said ribs,a horizontal top unit aligned with, elevated above and disposed in aplane parallel with said bottom unit, said top unit comprising an outerframe made up of interconnected plastic longitudinal side members andtransverse end members having downwardly opening dowel seating sockets,and an inner frame coordinated with said outer frame and embodying asingle pair of coplanar spaced parallel longitudinal frame members flushwith and located within the confines of the side and end frame membersof said outer frame and connected by spaced parallel horizontal dowelsarranged and defining an accessible entrance and exit opening, a latchequipped spring-biased manually releasable door normally closing saidentrance and exit opening, and vertical side and end coop enclosingdowels, said dowels having lower ends removably fitted in the seatingsockets provided therefor in said bottom frame members and upper endsremovably fitted and anchored in the dowel sockets provided therefor inthe side and end members of said outer frame.

1. A poultry coop comprising a horizontal bottom unit comprising animperforate panel constituting a floor, a bottom frame embodyingcomplemental frame members having lower surfaces seated and fastenedatop cooperatively associated marginal edge portions of said panel, saidframe members having open ended passages opening through inward andoutward peripheral surfaces in a manner to permit accumulated droppingsand excess drainage to escape outwardly of said frame and, in so doing,to minimize discharging and dropping of the same on coops which, duringtransit, may be aligned with and stacked on a level therebeneath, ahorizontal top unit aligned with, elevated above and disposed in a planeparallel with said bottom unit, said top unit embodying top frame meansprovided with and encompassing spaced horizontal dowels and also with amanually openable and closable access door, and a multiplicity ofvertical suitably spaced interchangeable dowels interposed between saidbottom frame and said top frame means and removably connected theretoand coacting therewith in a manner to complete said coop, all of theaforementioned component parts being individually made of moldableplastic material and capable of being singly and collectively removedand replaced, that portion of the panel inwardly of the surroundingframe members being provided with spaced parallel reinforcing ribs, saidtop unit comprising an outer frame made up of a pair of longitudinalside members having terminal half-portions overlapping and secured tosimilar oriented half-portions at the respective terminal ends oftransverse end members, and an inner frame embodying a pair of likelongitudinal frame members flush with and located within the confines ofthe side and end frame members of said outer frame and abutting interiorsurfaces of the side members of said inner frame, and a plurality ofhorizontal coplanar dowels bridging the longitudinal frame members ofsaid inner frame, certain of said last-named dowels being amply spacedapart to define an entrance and exit opening, said door normallycovering and closing said entrance and exit opening.
 2. The poultry coopdefined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said door comprises apair of spaced parallel coplanar side rails having inward longitudinalsides provided with paired and aligned inwardly opening sockets, andhorizontal spaced parallel dowels bridging the space between said railsand having end portions plugged and retentively anchored in theirrespectively cooperable sockets, corresponding ends of said side railsbeing hinged on an adjacent one of said last-named dowels, the freeopenable and closable ends of said rails having downwardly openingkeeper seats, and the free end of one of said rails having a lateraloutstanding lug providing a manually regulatable latch-type detent forsaid door.
 3. A poultry coop comprising a horizontal bottom unitembodying an imperforate rigid plastic panel having planar top andbottom surFaces, the body portion of said panel having transverselongitudinally spaced upstanding flute-like stabilizing ribs withopposite free outward ends terminating short of and spaced inwardly fromcoacting longitudinal marginal edges of said body portion, the bottomsurface of said panel having corner portions each provided with adepending lug-like coop positioning, nesting and stacking abutment, acomplemental bottom frame also made of plastic material and comprisingopposed coplanar longitudinal side members and transverse end membersseated and fastened atop underlying marginal portions of said panel andhaving reduced terminal overlapping half-portions secured and providingship-lap joints for said frame, said side and end members having bottomportions provided with clearance and drainage notches opening downwardlyand also opening through their respective interior and exteriorlongitudinal surfaces, also having distributively arranged downwardlyopening weight reducing voids and upwardly opening dowel seatingsockets, said frame members being fastened to said coordinating marginaledge portions of said panel and spaced from and encompassing said freeends of said ribs, a horizontal top unit aligned with, elevated aboveand disposed in a plane parallel with said bottom unit, said top unitcomprising an outer frame made up of interconnected plastic longitudinalside members and transverse end members having downwardly opening dowelseating sockets, and an inner frame coordinated with said outer frameand embodying a single pair of coplanar spaced parallel longitudinalframe members flush with and located within the confines of the side andend frame members of said outer frame and connected by spaced parallelhorizontal dowels arranged and defining an accessible entrance and exitopening, a latch equipped spring-biased manually releasable doornormally closing said entrance and exit opening, and vertical side andend coop enclosing dowels, said dowels having lower ends removablyfitted in the seating sockets provided therefor in said bottom framemembers and upper ends removably fitted and anchored in the dowelsockets provided therefor in the side and end members of said outerframe.